Birds eye peppers, also known as Thai chiles, are a variety of chili pepper that pack a powerful punch of heat and flavor. They are small, only around 1-3 inches long, and come in colors ranging from bright red to green and orange. So what do these tiny but fiery peppers actually taste like?
The Flavor Profile of Birds Eye Peppers
The most prominent flavor in birds eye chiles is heat. They rank near the top of the Scoville scale, which measures the pungency or spiciness of chili peppers. Most birds eye chiles measure between 50,000 to 100,000 Scoville heat units, making them much hotter than jalapeno peppers but slightly less spicy than habanero peppers.
The heat of birds eye chiles hits quickly, especially if you bite into the pepper rather than just tasting a dish made with them. It’s an intense, searing heat that builds fast. Even just a tiny sliver of one pepper can make your mouth burn. However, the burn fades fairly quickly as well. It’s a short, sharp spike of heat.
Underneath the predominant heat, birds eye chiles have a fruity, subtly sweet flavor. There are notes of citrus, pineapple, and berry. The flavor starts off mildly sweet, then the heat kicks in. When cooked, the heat mellows a bit and the fruity notes come to the forefront.
Green Birds Eye Peppers
Green birds eye peppers are the least ripe and tend to be the mildest in terms of heat. They have a fresh, bright, grassy taste and crunchy texture. The citrusy, fruity flavor is more prominent in green birds eyes before the sugars have fully developed. There is still a good kick of heat though!
Orange and Red Birds Eye Peppers
As birds eye peppers ripen from green to orange to bright red, they get progressively hotter. The red and orange peppers pack the most heat. The flavor also shifts, with riper peppers taking on a deeper, more concentrated fruity sweetness. Think tropical flavors like mango, pineapple, and papaya along with that searing heat.
Using Birds Eye Peppers in Cooking
Because of their intense spiciness, just a few birds eye chiles can flavor an entire dish. They are used in many Asian cuisines, especially Thai and Indian curries, stir fries, and noodle dishes. Birds eye peppers hold up well to cooking and add terrific flavor and heat to sauces, salsas, marinades, and more.
Start with Just a Little
It’s best to start with just a small amount of birds eye pepper when adding it to a dish, then increase the quantity if you want more heat. Even one small pepper contains enough capsaicin to make a dish quite spicy. You can always add more, but you can’t take it out once it’s there!
Use Both Fresh and Dried
You can find fresh and dried birds eye chiles. Fresh ones are juicy and flavorful, with the most vibrant heat. Dried chiles are convenient to store and still pack a punch of flavor. Rehydrate dried peppers in water for about 20 minutes before use for a texture closer to fresh.
Seeds and Membranes Are Hottest
Most of the spicy capsaicin compounds are concentrated in the inner white membranes and seeds. Remove them if you want to turn down the heat level a bit. But leave them in if you want the full effect of the chile’s burning spice.
Pair with Coconut Milk and Lime
Birds eye chiles feature prominently in Thai cuisine, where their heat pairs deliciously with cooling, creamy coconut milk and bright lime juice. Add a few diced fresh birds eye peppers to your favorite Thai curry or stir fry for authentic flavor.
Other Ways to Use Birds Eye Peppers
While they are staples in various Asian cuisines, birds eye peppers can be used in many types of recipes:
- Pizza – Sprinkle sliced peppers on pizza for spicy heat.
- Chili – Add diced or ground birds eye peppers to chili.
- Salsa – For killer spicy salsa, add some chopped birds eye chiles.
- Hot sauce – Increase the heat of hot sauce with birds eye peppers.
- Eggs – Add diced chiles to scrambled eggs or omelets.
- Salads – Thinly slice fresh birds eye peppers and toss into green salads.
- Seafood – Balance rich seafood like salmon with some birds eye pepper heat.
- Roasted vegetables – Toss vegetables with oil, salt, and sliced chiles before roasting.
- Pepper flakes – Dry and crush into red pepper flakes to sprinkle on pizza, pasta, etc.
Heat Level of Birds Eye Peppers
Most birds eye chile cultivars range from about 50,000 to 100,000 on the Scoville scale, measuring only the spiciness of the capsaicin content. Here’s how they compare to other types of peppers:
Pepper Type | Scoville Heat Units |
---|---|
Habanero pepper | 100,000 to 350,000 |
Birds eye pepper | 50,000 to 100,000 |
Cayenne pepper | 30,000 to 50,000 |
Jalapeno pepper | 2,500 to 8,000 |
Poblano pepper | 1,000 to 2,000 |
As you can see, birds eye chiles pack significantly more heat than common peppers like jalapenos. They aren’t quite as spicy as habanero peppers, but they still bring some serious spice!
Health Benefits of Birds Eye Peppers
Like all chili peppers, birds eye chiles contain beneficial compounds that offer some health-promoting properties:
Vitamin C
Birds eye peppers are high in vitamin C. One pepper contains about 60% of the recommended daily vitamin C intake. Vitamin C acts as an antioxidant and helps support immune function.
Vitamin A
The red and orange color of ripe birds eye chiles comes from carotenoids like beta carotene. These pigments act as antioxidants and get converted to active vitamin A in the body. Vitamin A benefits eye health and immune function.
Capsaicin
Capsaicin is the compound that gives all chili peppers their characteristic heat and spice. Studies show it has analgesic properties that help relieve pain. It also exhibits antioxidant effects.
Fiber
There are around 1.5 grams of fiber in a tablespoon of birds eye peppers. Fiber helps regulate digestion and may lower cholesterol and blood sugar levels.
Growing Birds Eye Peppers
While most people buy birds eye chiles fresh or dried from grocery stores, you can grow them yourself with just a little effort. Here are some tips for growing birds eye peppers at home:
Start from Seed
Like most peppers, birds eye chiles grow best started from seed rather than transplanting. Start the seeds indoors 6-8 weeks before your last expected frost date. Plant them in seed starting mix and keep warm (around 80 F) until germination.
Transfer Outdoors
When outdoor temperatures are reliably warm, transplant seedlings into the garden after the last frost date. Choose a sunny, warm spot with fertile soil.
Care Tips
Birds eye pepper plants like warm temperatures (75-85 F) and need at least 6 hours of direct sunlight per day. Keep soil consistently moist through regular watering. Use a diluted liquid fertilizer every 2-3 weeks for nutrients.
Harvest Peppers
Most birds eye pepper plants will be ready to harvest peppers about 2-3 months after transplanting. Pick peppers once they reach their mature color (green, orange, or red). Use scissors or pruning shears to cut the stem rather than pulling and risk damaging the plant. Pick peppers regularly to encourage continuous production.
Storing Birds Eye Peppers
Fresh birds eye peppers will last about 1 week stored in the refrigerator in a plastic bag. Leave them whole. Wash just before using. You can also freeze the peppers for longer storage. Dried birds eye peppers will keep for several months stored in an airtight container in a cool, dry spot.
Substitutes for Birds Eye Peppers
If you can’t find fresh or dried birds eye chiles, you have a few good options to substitute in their place:
- Jalapeno – Use about 3-4 jalapenos for every 1 birds eye pepper. Remove some seeds and membranes to account for the lower heat.
- Serrano chile – Serranos are hotter than jalapenos with a similar flavor profile. Substitute about 2-3 of them for every 1 birds eye.
- Thai chili paste – Add a teaspoon of this spicy paste for every birds eye pepper the recipe calls for.
- Cayenne pepper – Sprinkle in a pinch of cayenne pepper flakes for each birds eye. Add more or less to your heat tolerance.
- Habanero – Use just a tiny bit of habanero – about 1/8 pepper – in place of each birds eye since habaneros are so much hotter.
Any of these substitutions will provide a similar amount of spicy heat and flavor to birds eye chile peppers.
Conclusion
While tiny, birds eye chiles pack a powerful flavor punch. Their taste combines intense heat with fruity, slightly sweet notes. They are popular in many Asian cuisines, especially Thai dishes, where their heat complements cooling ingredients like coconut milk. Birds eye peppers also contain beneficial compounds and are easy to grow at home. Just remember to start off with small amounts until you know your tolerance!